


Comfort and Joy

by wingedspirit



Series: Winter 2019 Prompts [15]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: 31 Days of Ineffables Advent Calendar Challenge (Good Omens), 31 Days of Ineffables Advent Calendar Challenge 2019 (Good Omens), Canon-Typical Angst, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 08:08:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21810031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingedspirit/pseuds/wingedspirit
Summary: A history of angelic laughter.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: Winter 2019 Prompts [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1560823
Comments: 10
Kudos: 130





	Comfort and Joy

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [drawlight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/drawlight)’s [advent calendar prompt list](https://drawlight.tumblr.com/post/188869931294/aziraphale-crowley-for-half-an-hour-youve-been) (day 15, laughter).

Aziraphale doesn’t laugh.

It occurs to Crowley several millennia into his acquaintance with Aziraphale, as they sit in a crowded restaurant, the demon nursing a cup of wine, the angel tipping back oyster shells and slurping down their contents like they’re going out of style. Which Crowley sincerely hopes they will, because they are absolutely disgusting.

He’s seen Aziraphale smile, politely or otherwise; he’s seen him chuckle nervously; but he’s never managed to get a proper laugh out of him. The best he’s seen is a titter, and that really isn’t saying much.

At first, he’d thought it was because of him — angel, demon, meant to be enemies after all — but the angel has deliberately sought him out, is, to all appearances, genuinely enjoying his company.

He really doesn’t think any of the humans would’ve gotten the angel to laugh, either.

It is a puzzle, and a challenge, and he has never been the type to back down from either.

⁂

Aziraphale laughs like he knows it’ll cost him something.

It’s taken Crowley several centuries of cracking terrible jokes, of dragging Aziraphale to every single comedy show he possibly can, but the angel is finally, finally laughing. He should be satisfied, except…

Aziraphale laughs, and then claps a hand over his mouth.

Aziraphale laughs, and then looks around nervously.

Aziraphale laughs, and, every single time, very obviously regrets it.

Aziraphale laughs; but he believes he shouldn’t.

And Crowley hates it.

He will, he resolves, get a proper laugh out of the angel if it bloody well kills him.

⁂

Which, as it turns out, it almost does, and the rest of the world besides.

⁂

“I asked them for a rubber duck,” Aziraphale says, pleased with himself, mirth in his eyes, on his face, in his voice, “and made the Archangel Michael miracle me a towel!”

Crowley laughs, long and loud; and after a moment, Aziraphale joins in.

It’s quieter, and it’s not quite a proper laugh, but it’s getting there. This time, Aziraphale laughs like whatever it cost, he’s already paid.

⁂

They’re in the cottage, curled up together on the sofa in front of the fire. Reminiscing about all the places they have been, all the things they have seen in their long, long lives. Planning out their future together, now that they have one.

And it’s not anything special that does it. They’re just warm, and happy, and okay, more than a little tipsy due to the several bottles of very nice wine they had over dinner. Aziraphale gets all tangled up in the middle of a sentence, ends up forgetting a word, and Crowley, naturally, laughs at him.

Aziraphale glares at him; but it’s only for a moment, and then he’s smiling again.

And then they’re laughing, both of them, finally, together. Bright, and happy, and _free_.

**Author's Note:**

> You can visit my [Tumblr](https://wingedspirit.tumblr.com/), if you like.


End file.
